Maverie Jade

Backstory

Shadowhunters
Half-angel, half-human hybrids, Shadowhunters are sometimes referred to as Nephilim. They are trained to fight demons from an early age, but their numbers are dwindling; the only way to create more Shadowhunters is with a magical chalice called the Mortal Cup, one of the titular instruments. The first Shadowhunters we meet — Jace, Alec, and Isobel — look as if they're normal teenagers, and they seem to be the only Nephilim left standing in New York until Clary joins them. Churches, synagogues, and other houses of worship store weapons for the Shadowhunters in secret hiding places marked by runes.

Runes
The Shadowhunters are abundantly covered in markings that look like really cool tattoos, and they all serve a purpose. These magical runes are angel's marks. They can burn regular people (referred to in the series as Mundanes), drive them insane (turning them into mindless beings called Forsakens), or even kill them. But for Shadowhunters, they can ward off evil, heal a wound, open a locked door, or instill great courage. The rune Clary keeps drawing over and over in the movie is a mark of initiation known as the angelic power rune. This was the first and most powerful rune given to the Shadowhunters by an angel named Raziel. It's used to imbue weapons with angelic properties. Most runes are temporary and fade into scars. Other runes never go away. But if you want a rune on your skin, you need a stele to draw them. Bonus: Steles can also heal wounds and do other neat tricks.


The Mortal Instruments
There are three of them: the Mortal Cup, the Mortal Sword, and the Mortal Mirror; the first film is concerned only with the Mortal Cup. Think of it as a Holy Grail — it's a religious relic with the power to create more Shadowhunters. The angel Raziel mixed his blood with the blood of humans in the Cup, and those who drank from it (and managed to survive) became Shadowhunters. As for the other Mortal Instruments: The Sword is used in trials to determine if a Shadowhunter is being deceitful and the Mirror (which is actually a lake) is an entrance to the Shadowhunters' home country. Together, the Mortal Instruments can be used to summon demons and angels.